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If you're a fan of Ubuntu Linux, there's a good chance you're among the many who have been wondering in the last day or so what, precisely, a pangolin is.

That, of course, is because Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth just declared Precise Pangolin the nickname for the next Ubuntu. I'm betting there's been a sudden surge in Google searches on the term since the announcement was made.

Keeping up with the Dr. Seussian name choices for Ubuntu mascots is never easy, so to make matters more clear for all of us, here's a brief history with pictures of all the mascots Ubuntu has had so far. The only question now is, what will it be for Ubuntu 12.10: Quirky Quail, Quahog, Quarterhorse or Queen Bee?

1. Warty Warthog (4.10)

Flickr image credit: Chadica

The warthog is a wild member of the pig family native in grassland, savanna and woodland regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Weighing between 100 and 200 pounds, each warty creature has two pairs of tusks and lives in groups called sounders. It's reportedly not uncommon for warthogs to allow banded mongooses to do their grooming for them.

As for the Ubuntu release, it's most notable for being the first Ubuntu ever. Launched in October 2004, “it aimed to be a functional if not pretty snapshot of Debian Unstable, with a few specific feature goals,” according to the Ubuntu wiki, with more integration, polish and documentation coming in later releases.